So...White Officers Shouldn't Respond To Calls Involving Blacks Now?

[Conan71]

My take away from the story on KRMG this morning is the local NAACP doesn't want white male officers responding to calls involving black women.  Maybe the TPD should simply quit patrolling north Tulsa all together since there's always the threat of hostile white officers clashing with peaceful citizens.  I also find it amazing you can't find a single witness when 20 people see someone get shot in the middle of a street but have a minor dust-up with white cops and everyone is singing. 

Sorry folks, the NAACP is doing nothing to help race relations.  They keep inciting the black community so they can continue to stay relevant.

"The arrest of a Tulsa school principal for interfering with police Monday night has the Tulsa branch of the NAACP upset and planning a rally Thursday night over what they claim was an unjust arrest.  The NAACP says the Tulsa police department sent white- male officers to a call in a minority community and it created a hostile environment.  Lynette Dixon, Hawthorne Elementary Principal, was arrested Monday while police were investigating a burglary and disturbance call at her daughter's apartment.

NAACP President Dr. Warren Blakney says there's been a history of a lack of sensitivity.  "You need to have at least someone who can diffuse situations.  You need to have females, female officers and you need to have at least some black male officers in this community and have police here.  I am not against white officers coming in- we need them if they are good police officers come and do whatever needs to be done but come with protect and serve in mind," says Blakney.

He adds witnesses say Dixon was treated physically roughly and disrespectfully during her arrest.  Blakney says there should be a mix of officers in responding to calls especially in minority communities.
The Tulsa police department says that officers are trained to handle any call and sending black officers to calls from black citizens or white officers to calls from white citizens is unacceptable.  Captain Jonathan Brooks says you can't match the race of the caller to the officer.  "From a practical standpoint, we have 'X' number of officers out there working at any given moment and portions of those may already be tied up on calls.  And when a priority call comes in, whoever is available is who responds because our goal is to respond as quickly as possible to priority calls and that is sending the closest and available officer to the call.  So, there again, we have no control over the race or the sex or anything of the officer that we send to that call," says Brooks.  Plus he adds, not only is it impractical but also illegal to ask the race of a 911 caller.
The rally is planned for Thursday at 7 p.m. at the North Peoria Church of Christ at 2247 North Peoria."

http://krmg.com/localnews/2011/03/naacp-protest-rally-planned-in.html

[Breadburner]

Just think if we had a commisioner form of local government......

[patric]

The NAACP is an anachronism, and an embarrassment to the community.  Prior to their involvement, it was a case of an officer loosing their patience with a mother's annoying questioning.  Now, if she had actually been in their face, or physical or even threatening, their might have been justification for an arrest, but the report indicated nothing like that.  She was instead arrested for being "upset" and loud".

With the NAACP in the mix, the underlying cause of what seems to be an insensitive (and likely improper) procedure is clouded over with the less precise charge of racism.

In short, they arent really helping her. 

[Conan71]

The NAACP is an anachronism, and an embarrassment to the community.  Prior to their involvement, it was a case of an officer loosing their patience with a mother's annoying questioning.  Now, if she had actually been in their face, or physical or even threatening, their might have been justification for an arrest, but the report indicated nothing like that.  She was instead arrested for being "upset" and loud".

With the NAACP in the mix, the underlying cause of what seems to be an insensitive (and likely improper) procedure is clouded over with the less precise charge of racism.

In short, they arent really helping her. 

My first impulse when I heard about her being arrested and fined $150 was what a total waste of taxpayer resources.  Aside from that, weren't there probably much more dangerous people to be seeking on arrest warrants in that complex than a traffic ticket scofflaw?

I can see the city wasting a lot in legal fees over this one when the inevitable law suit is filed.

The true shame of it is, I think this sends the wrong message to police and makes them more apprehensive to do the job they are supposed to do.

As I recall there was a fatal accident about six months or so ago up on the north side where people started interfering with emergency personnel trying to do their job.  It's pretty simple, don't interfere with public safety personnel when they are trying to do their job.

[Townsend]

How would "excuse me, but I'd like to speak with only white officers about this." fly?

Something tells me it wouldn't.

[Conan71]

How would "excuse me, but I'd like to speak with only white officers about this." fly?

Something tells me it wouldn't.

[Breadburner]

haha....Classic.....

[Mike 01Hawk]

If I didn't have a prior engagement, I'd almost be willing to go to the "protest" tonight @ 7pm 

[jamesrage]

Race is not supposed to matter but the NAACP doesn't want white male officers to be sent to black neighborhoods? Talk about some racist crap. A police officers race and gender is no excuse for someone to break the law or to get hostile. If these racist want to act hostile towards white police officers then those police officers toss their asses in jail.  That principal should know better, hopefully she does get punished.

[tulsa_fan]

I watched FOX23's story on this last night and was seriously sick to my stomach.  Sending white officers into a black neighborhood is rascist and an abuse of power?  And really we need black officers to respond because they know our "culture" and can diffuse a situation.  First, let me remind him, the officer's BID on their location.  So when black officer's don't work up north, its by their OWN choice.  Secondly, that is one of the most racist comments ever.  This is by NAACP's leader.  Finally, I've been on ride alongs up there and have seen the mobs show up and a situation can go from a slightly annoying person who is interferring to a violent mob in about 2 seconds flat, the officers were correct in diffusing the situation before it escalated.  I don't care if it was a bunch of whites, mexicans or purple people eaters, when they are outnumbered and someone is inciting attitude, the officer should do whatever is necessary to remain in control.  Putting her in handcuffs was the right thing to do, things could have gotten out of control quickly and then lives could have been in danger. 

[Conan71]

In a statement released Wednesday, the NAACP said the Police Department's sending a team of all-white male officers into a minority area created a hostile environment.

Officer Jason Willingham responded that it would be discriminatory to assign only minority officers to certain calls.

"All of our officers, regardless of their race or religion, are going to respond to calls regardless of the caller's race or religion," he said.

"For us to assign an officer to a community that reflects his ethnicity would be wrong and contrary to what we've been working toward for 50 to 60 years."

Blakney said Thursday that the group isn't concerned about the color of officers who respond to calls in black communities but would like to see more cultural sensitivity.


Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/webextra/content/2010/crimesite/article.aspx?subjectid=450&articleid=20110311_12_A13_CUTLIN108148&archive=yes

WTH is that supposed to mean?  More cultural sensitivity?  What part of their culture is so vastly different they require officers with special training?

Is the culture issue that a black female might over-react when her daughter's boyfriend is arrested on an outstanding warrant?  What a total crock of smile.  Blakney is a total discredit to the people he purports to serve.  If he's hoping to close a racial gap, he's going about it the wrong way.

[DolfanBob]

I dont believe race has anything at all to do with how Tulsa Police react to someone. I feel they treat all people with that same crack your head if you dont shut up attitude.
Believe me, A black officer will hook up a white female principal just as quick as this black one was.
It's just asking for special treatment because of all the hardship they feel they have endured over the history of their race.
Again as it has been said. Let a white woman be arrested by a black man and demand to have only a white officer do the arresting. Do you think we would be having a rally to fix this heinous crime commited ?

On a side note. I'm still waiting to get White Entertainment Television "WET"
White History Month, Starz White, Ivory Magazine etc,etc.
And no I'm not racist. I'm just tired of having it shoved down my throat that I am.

[Conan71]

Dolfan, has the White Officer's Coalition weighed in on this yet? 

[patric]

The NAACP needs to be shown the door, because nothing beneficial will come from their approach.
Someone actually did post something useful on the TW website, however:

Fair v. City of Galveston, 915 F. Supp. 873, 879-80 (S.D. Tex.), aff'd, 100 F.3d 953 (5th Cir. 1996); and the Sixth Circuit found that an ordinance prohibiting resisting, interfering, or hindering a police officer suggested physical interference, not speech, see Lawrence v. 48th Dist. Court, 560 F.3d 475, 482 (6th Cir. 2009); cf. Dorman v. Satti, 862 F.2d 432, 436-37 (2d Cir. 1988) (citing City of Houston for proposition that statute which used terms "interfere" and "harass" criminalized substantial amount of First Amendment protected speech).

In City of Houston vs Hill, the Supreme Court considered the constitutionality of a Houston ordinance that contained language making it unlawful to "in any manner oppose, molest, abuse or interrupt any policeman in the execution of his duty." The Court found that the ordinance was substantially overbroad, and thus unconstitutional, because it prohibited "verbal interruptions" of officers---speech

See? No need to inject racism because the law wouldnt stand muster in court.
Havent had time to look them up individually, though.

[Quinton]

Does that mean if whites want only white officers that it wouldnt be racist.